Most women get accustomed to and know the pattern of their menstrual cramps. So, when something out of this pattern happens, they know it is not normal. There are various reasons for pelvic pains not associated with menses. The following are some common causes and it is always advisable to seek medical help, which will help in right diagnosis, early intervention and reduced complications.

1. Ectopic pregnancy: If a fertilized egg has planted itself outside of the uterus or the womb, it is referred to as ectopic pregnancy. The fallopian tube is the most common place for ectopic pregnancies. There is associated pelvic pain, which is unilateral, sharp, and gradually worsens. There would also be associated bleeding which is darker than the regular bleeding. This again should be confirmed on an ultrasound and then the ectopic pregnancy removed.

2. Endometriosis: The inner thick layer of the uterus could be infected leading to severe pelvic pain, especially in women who are in their 30s, who are not able to conceive. This is often ignored, considering it as normal and it continues to progress and could even result in infertility.

3. Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID): Infections like gonorrhea or chlamydia travel up from the genital tract and reach the uterus. Infection along the entire reproductive tract can lead to severe pain. In most cases, if identified early, a course of antibiotics is all that is required to control this infection. Left untreated, it can even cause infertility.

4. Ovarian cysts: Another common cause of pelvic pain, they are quite often asymptomatic, except for occasional pelvic pain. They also disappear with no medical intervention. Sometimes, however, it may get infected or rupture and can cause severe pain. This can is an indication for medical intervention. Ultrasound may be required for diagnosis and treatment may include surgical removal.

5. Uterine fibroids: The fibroids are noncancerous growths, which can grow to a considerable size and fall short of blood supply. This may cause them to burst, which can be very painful.

6. Miscarriage: Most miscarriages occur before 13 weeks of pregnancy and the usual accompanying symptoms of bleeding are severe pelvic cramps. If you are pregnant and notice bleeding with pelvic pain, it is advisable to immediately visit a doctor. Diagnosis may require an ultrasound to confirm the miscarriage. If medications are not sufficient to remove the remnants, then a dilation and curettage may be required.

7. Non-gynecological causes: Appendicitis, urinary tract infections, hernia, lower spinal problems, irritable bowel syndrome can also cause pelvic pain. The cause should be identified and managed accordingly.

Unfortunately, most women continue to experience and suffer with chronic pelvic pain without a cause identified. A thorough internal examination can help identify the problem and treat the issue.

How to Deal with Pelvic Pain other than Menstrual Cramps

Pelvic pain is generally referred to as the pain in the lower abdominal region. Pelvic pain might be acute, sudden, or chronic, recurrent, cyclical in nature. It may present as central or lateralized pain and might spread to the thighs and buttocks. Pelvic pain might be an indication that something is wrong with the internal reproductive organs located in the pelvic region such as ovaries, fallopian tube, uterus and vagina in which case occurrence of pain may be related to particular time in menstrual cycle.

Pelvic pain can be indicative of a pelvic infection or related to the pelvic bones/spine problems.

Also it may indicate that there is something wrong with the digestive system or urinary system.

Causes-

The causes are as follows:

Pelvic pain occurs commonly in disorders of the internal reproductive organs such as ovarian cysts or pelvic inflammatory disease (where in sexually transmitted bacteria spread through the reproductive organs and cause infection) or pain during ovulation.

Pelvic pain might also occur due to endometriosis (a form of disorder where the endometrial tissues that are located inside the uterus tend to grow outside the uterus resulting in severe pain), adenomyosis (a disorder wherein the endometrial tissues which line the wall of the uterus tend to grow within the uterus), , pelvic adhesions or ectopic pregnancy (when the fertilized egg gets inserted somewhere else other than the main uterine cavity),

Pelvic pain can occur due to bladder disorders, kidney stones, infection in the urinary tract, constipation, flatulence,inflammatory bowel disease, irritable bowel syndrome and chronic hernia.

It can also be a symptom in some cancers such as ovarian cancer, colonic cancer, advanced ovarian , endometrial and cervical cancer.

The following symptoms might occur along with pelvic pain:

Sustained pain in the hips and the groin

Sudden fever

Severe pain while urinating , passing stools or during sexual intercourse (dysparuenia)

Vaginal bleeding or vaginal discharge .

Blood in stool

Severe menstrual pain ( dysmenorrhoea)

Repeated instances of constipation or diarrhoea

Increase In pain with stress and physical movements

Investigations-

The Gynaecologist will do physical examination including bimanual internal examination. Also, complete blood count, urine for microscopy, vaginal swabs if discharge, stool examination. Ultrasound examination of the pelvis is an important investigation.

Treatment-

If the pain is gynaecological and depending on the cause doctors might suggest different therapies. In cases where pain is due to an ovarian cyst or endometriosis, doctors may prescribe birth-control pills. In cases of suspected pelvic infection, antibiotics are prescribed. Also, laparoscopic surgery might be advised in cases of acute pain due to cyst, endometriosis, or pelvic adhesions: for confirmation of diagnosis and excision or removal of cysts and endometriotic implants and division of adhesions respectively. In some cases of chronic pain, the gynaecologist may manage the case with inputs from gastroenterologist and pain consultant.

Causes and Symptoms of Pelvic Pain

Endometriosis is a painful condition where the endometrium tissue lining the walls of the uterus, grows as implants outside the womb of the patient. This can lead to a number of painful conditions and is often considered as a common cause behind severe pelvic pain, as far as women are concerned. Here is all you need to know about endometriosis and pelvic pain.

 Painful menstruation: depending on the stage of the condition, the implants could remain on the surface or go deeper into the ovaries which may cause acute and severe problem during ovulation as well as the menstrual cycles. This is one of the symptoms that one must not ignore. If you are having painful cramps that affect the pelvic area and the abdomen, and if these cramps last throughout the duration of the cycle, then there are strong chances that you are experiencing the pain that comes with endometriosis. 
 Pain during and after intercourse: while there are many reasons why women may face pain during intercourse, it may be noted that vaginal and pelvic pain that come during and after intercourse could point towards the presence of endometriosis, which is causing irritation and discomfort due to the implants. 
 Bowel movements and urination: usually, pelvic pain may trickle down to and also get activated by the bowels when there is a motion as well as urination. This is a common problem that can cause pain, which spreads throughout the region if the patient is suffering from endometriosis. 
 Bloating and other symptoms: when the abdomen and nearby regions face bloating due to the implants and their painful spread, the pelvic region as a whole bears the brunt in terms of severe pelvic pain. The bloating and other symptoms like loose motions and constipation can also create pain in the abdomen and pelvic region on a persistence basis. Sharp pains may also shoot up and down the lower back due to such symptoms which should not be ignored if they do not abate within a few days. 
 Misdiagnosis: many times, the bloating and pelvic pain may be linked with pelvic inflammatory disease, which causes pain in the muscles and joints. But if you are having pain in the abdomen as well as problems during your menstrual cycle, then it may be helpful to have the tests for endometriosis done as well. 

In order to diagnose the condition, the doctor must ensure that proper imaging tests like mri and ct scans as well as an ultrasound with lab tests based on blood samples have been conducted. The pelvic pain that comes with this condition can be treated with the help of pain relievers like ibuprofen and aspirin.

Could Your Pelvic Pain be Endometriosis?

Pelvic pain is most common in women, though sometimes it occurs in men as well. There is absolutely no reason why pelvic pain cannot be treated and therefore women need not panic if they are experiencing such pain. The treatment of any pain can be done methodically after discovering its cause. Thus, before jotting down the treatments for pelvic pain, it is important to explore the reasons that cause pelvic pain in women.

Reasons for pelvic pain

Reproductive organs in women play an important part in causing pelvic pain. The reproductive organ is complex when it comes to women and many small or big problems there might end up leading to pelvic pain.
Any urinary infection or bladder irritation might also lead to pelvic pain.
The nerves and muscles of the abdomen may cause pain in the pelvis area as well. In fact, the nerves and muscles are very tender near the pelvis area and care should be taken so that one does not strain them or pull the ligaments. This can cause severe pain.
Another interesting point to be noted is that sometimes even after going through a lot of examinations, no causes of pelvic pain are found. In such cases it is understood that the pelvic pain is a manifestation of the remains of a long forgotten injury or accident.
It has been examined and found out that physical abuse can at times lead to chronic pelvic pain. Though this link has not yet been understood properly, but it is seen to be true.
Treatments for pelvic pain

The most basic treatment is to apply heating pad on the affected area. Heat helps in relaxing the muscles and nerves thereby, lessening the pain. However, this would reduce the pain, but cannot make it disappear in a day. Thus, it is a continued process for a week or 10 days till the pain recedes.
Relaxation techniques like meditation, breathing exercises, yoga and even muscle exercises like jogging help in reducing the pain. However, this should be done under guidance. One wrong move can actually aggravate the pain instead of lessening it.
Then there are painkillers which are non-steroidal and help in lessening the pain. Painkillers have a correct dosage and must be taken only after consulting a doctor. Self-medication in such cases can prove disastrous.
At times, when all medications fail, surgery is the last resort.
Thus, these are some of the treatments that can be undertaken if and when you are experiencing pelvic pain. All these are connected to the root cause and must be followed only under medical supervision.

Pelvic Pain - 4 Ways It Can be Treated

Why does PAIN occur? Understand the Mechanism of Pain

Pain is an unpleasant and distressing physical sensation caused by disease or injury, which induces hurt and anxiety in those suffering from it.
There are many different manifestations of pain, ranging from short term (acute pain) to long term (chronic pain). Other classifications include pain in the internal organs (visceral pain), injured tissue (inflammatory pain), nerves (neuropathic pain), etc.

The reason for the occurrence of pain depends on the cause and kind of pain being experienced. In most cases, pain acts as a warning sign that the body has been afflicted by a disorder of some sort, which may have arisen due to internal sickness or external wounding. Acute pains are generally cured on their own through rest or simple medication. Chronic pains, on the other hand, are more complicated in nature and the treatment requires more elaborate diagnosis.

The mechanism of pain

Pain is an extremely personal and subjective experience and affects each individual to varying degrees. The pain signals, which can arise in any part of the body, travel through the spinal cord to the brain along thousands of specialized nerves and nerve fibres. In the brain, it is processed in the centres associated with anxiety, emotions, memory, appetite, etc. Signals and pain inputs are then returned from the brain to the spinal cord, which may heighten or diminish pain.

In some cases, pain may also be induced by damage to the brain and spinal cord, which happens after a stroke.
A constant barrage of pain signals may cause the cells at the end of nerve fibres to become over-sensitized. This is known as 'wind-up' and is one of the most common causes of chronic pain that occurs even though the root of the problem has been identified and treated.

The causes and effects of pain differ from case to case depending on the signals received by the brain and its interpretation. It affects the individual's day to day activities and if persistent, can also have a harmful impact on mental health and psychosis. Pain is always handled, diagnosed and treated differently in all patients by drawing out the best possible solution to the problem.





Why does PAIN occur? Understand the Mechanism of Pain

The pelvic floor is a group of muscles in your pelvic area. These muscles support the organs in your pelvis like a sling. The organs in this area include the bladder, uterus (women), prostate (men) and rectum (the area at the end of the large intestine where your body stores solid waste). By contracting and relaxing these muscles, you control your bowel and bladder movements.

What is pelvic floor dysfunction?

When you are unable to control the muscles in your pelvic floor to have a bowel movement, it is called pelvic floor dysfunction. People with pelvic floor dysfunction contract these muscles rather than relax them. Because of this, they cannot have a bowel movement or they have an incomplete one.

It is important to be aware of the symptoms of pelvic floor dysfunction as there is no comprehensive list of causes. However, it can be said that traumatic injuries to the pelvic area seems to have a rather higher preponderance among the causes of pelvic floor dysfunction, which is also known as PFD. While giving birth to a child is an experience that is life changing, the potential downside is that it can be one of the causes of pelvic floor dysfunction in women!

Other symptoms include feeling the need to urinate often and then finding the process to be quite painful. Constipation which occurs in spite of a diet which contains enough roughage is a sign, as well, that it is about time that a person should schedule an appointment with the doctor.

Medication is a possible solution and is usually in the form of a muscle relaxant of a low intensity. However, it is great for a person who has the misfortune of having pelvic floor dysfunction to know that there are solutions which are completely bereft of the need of any form of medication!

Cure Pelvic Floor Dysfunction

Reducing the effects of pelvic floor dysfunction can be quite simple, really. Warm baths and some exercises suggested on a subjective basis are quite common. This is a process called biofeedback.

Biofeedback aims to retrain the pelvic floor so that there is far better functioning. The success of this method is well known to a specialist, it has vastly improved the pelvic floor dysfunction conditions of more than 75% of the patients significantly!

The method works by observing the workings of the pelvic floor and then providing feedback regarding its coordination as it expands and contracts. Some of the many things which make this method truly great are that it is non-invasive and non-medical. As a matter of fact, taking into due account its success rate, people should really give it a shot before they try medication or surgery.

Surgery

Surgery is said to be effective in the case of rectocele. Nevertheless, this is the last resort as it is always better to sort out such problems sans having to resort to surgery. Multidisciplinary approaches which involve fields such as psychology are good options. Pelvic floor dysfunction is something that is a pain to have, but it really need not be!

Pelvic Floor Dysfunction - Things You Should Know About it 

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